Esperion's drug lowers blood fat in mid-stage study

(Reuters) - Esperion Therapeutics Inc said its drug reduced levels of bad blood fat in a mid-stage trial among patients with high levels of cholesterol, when added to a standard of care treatment.

The company said the drug lowered bad cholesterol by an additional 22 percent, compared with a placebo, after eight weeks of use with another drug atorvastatin. The placebo group showed no additional reduction in cholesterol.

The drug was well tolerated and no serious adverse events were reported, Esperion said.